Well at least not yet. It looks like our new Prime Minister and his family instead will be going to Rideau Cottage.
In a statement yeterday the Liberal party said the prime minister-designate, his wife Sophie, and their three children would be immediately relocating to Rideau Cottage, a residence on the grounds of Rideau Hall, the governor general’s larged fenced-in property, “until further notice.”
The reality is that Rideau Hall is well outdated and estimates range between $10 million and $150 million to fix the 34-room residence, which has asbestos in its walls.
Some of the problems recorded at Rideau Hall include:
- A need for new insulation, as heat and hydro bill topped $69,000 in 2012.
- An electrical system that had not been updated in 50 years.
- Windows that were installed in the 1950s needed updating.
The Sussex Drive house has been the prime minister’s residence since 1950. The two-hectare property that overlooks the Ottawa River was built in 1868 by American lumberman Joseph Merrill Currier as a wedding gift for his third wife. Every prime minister since Louis St-Laurent has lived there.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his family have lived at 24 Sussex Drive since 2006, despite a report from the auditor general’s office in 2008 that said the residence was in need of major repairs.
ABOUT RIDEAU COLLEGE
Rideau Cottage was constructed in 1867 and is designated as a “recognized” heritage building by the Federal Heritage Building Review Office. The house is nestled in a private area with no public access.
What do you think? Time for repairs?
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